Breath of Fire
by dragonprotector
Summary: When a fire breaks out in Shinra, a member is trapped,a hero must rise.


The alarm was screaming inside the Shinra building. Black smoke was pouring out of the windows above the yellow, furious flickers of fire. A 1st Class Soldier ran blindly through the smoke desperately seeking a way out. The faint light in front of him got closer and closer with every step he took. Before he knew it he out of the burning building. His sky blue eyes closed as he sighed in relief, his spiked, black hair blew in the breeze. Slowly he looked around and saw the other members of SOLDIER had managed to make it out as well. Some were injured and some were distressed not that Zack blamed them; this was the first time something like this had happened. Looking around Zack saw how everyone chipped in with helping the seriously injured to the ambulance, it made him smile but something was bothering him at the back of his mind.

The flames grew higher and higher in the Shinra building all the SOLDIER members could do was to wait until the fire brigade arrived. "Zack" a voice called from behind him.

"Yeah, oh Kunsel it's you" Zack replied as he turned around.

"Zack, we are missing one person" Kunsel gave Zack the list.

Zacks face turned worried as he looked down the list.

"Who is m-" Zack was cut short as he saw the Cloud Strife wasn't within the group. Quickly Zack shoved the list back at Kunsel.

"Wait Zack where you going?"

"To get Cloud" Zack ran into the building, the roar of the spreading fire was all that was heard.

"Cloud!" Zack shouted as he proceeded up the stairs to try and find the young cadet. "Cloud, where are you?"

Mako eyes scanned the second floor; the smoke was making it harder to see any signs of life inside the building. _Come on Cloud where are you?_ Zack thought as he searched the rooms. **Crash**. Zack looked ahead as Shinra shook due to lack of support. Breaking into a run Zack dashed in and out of each room shouting Cloud's name over and over. He continued up the third set of stairs and checked the rooms up there. _Please be alright Cloud_. Zack ran into the training room and looked around and shouted again. "Cloud!" No reply was given. Zack couldn't make out any outlines of anything that could possibly have been a person. Making his way out of the burning room Zack heard something coming from the room opposite him. Quickly he ran into the room and saw that there were collapsed furniture and parts of the ceiling were scattered on top. "Cloud!" Zack shouted as loud as he could over the fire.

Zack turned to walk out of the room with his head hung low _Maybe it was just something falling over_. "Help someone please" a voice cried from inside the room.

"Cloud?"

"Zack?"

Zack searched franticly around the room and found a collapsed wall over a heavy filing cabinet. Looking more closely and saw some blonde spiked underneath, not far from it was an arm crushed under another cabinet. Without hesitation Zack lifted the cabinet up and place it carefully but quickly on its side. There was Cloud; the young cadet had blood flowing quickly down from a huge gash across his forehead and his right arm bent at an impossible angle. "Cloud!" Zack called as he gently shook him out of a daze.

"Zack?" He rasped weakly.

"Come on Cloud we're getting out of here"

Zack supported Cloud as he got up and together they proceeded to make their way out of the building.

Sprinting down the stairs as fast as they could Cloud who was supported by Zack suddenly started coughing violently before beginning to lose conscious. "Cloud come on don't give up on me now" Zack pleaded as the blonde cadet's body began to drag his legs.

"I'm sorry Zack" Cloud whispered as he passed out. The building shook again causing more of the construction to collapse around the two Soldier members. The smoke had risen dramatically making it nearly impossible to see. Zack looked to his side and saw Cloud collapsed against his side, and then his attention turned to the crumbling ceiling above him. Scooping Cloud up gently in his arms Zack ran straight ahead hoping to find the exit soon. Zack collided with one of the walls and felt his way around before he found the exit.

Fresh air hit Zacks senses which made him for certain they had made it out. _We did it Cloud_ Zack thought. "Cloud" Zack looked at his arms and saw that Cloud's injuries were more serious than he previously thought. He saw how pale Cloud looked and then he noticed…Cloud wasn't breathing. "Cloud!" Zack cried desperately as he rested Cloud on the ground. Kunsel came rushing over a few moments later. "Kunsel get an ambulance immediately"

"Okay" Kunsel ran over to the medical team who began to phone an ambulance.

"Come on Cloud you can't give up now"

Zack put his head down to Cloud's chest and felt no heartbeat which made him snap straight up. Immediately Zack began to perform CPR, the medical team and Kunsel rushed over quickly to Zack. "Cloud come on breath" Zack said as he repeated CPR. Suddenly Cloud began to breath again making Zack sigh in relief. Not long after the sound of sirens was heard as the ambulance pulled up. The medical team loaded Cloud into it ready to take him to the hospital.

"Zack what about your burns?" Kunsel asked.

"Cloud's my main concern at the moment" Zack replied as he got in the back of the ambulance and travelled with Cloud to the hospital.

A beeping sound reverberated in Cloud's ears, bringing him out off unconsciousness. Blue eyes flickered open and glanced around the well lit room which caused him to squint slightly. After getting used to the light Cloud noticed he was in hospital, the hygienic smell gave it away. Looking up slowly he managed to see a blood drip and a IV drip above him which connected to his wrist. Cloud saw someone sitting on a chair next to his hospital. "Hey Cloud"

"Z…Zack?"

"Yeah, how are you feeling?"

"Sore"

"You gave us quite a scare Cloud"

"I'm sorry"

"Don't apologise it wasn't your fault"

"How long have I been out?"

"About a week"

"A Week?"

"Yeah"

"Have you been here the whole time?"

"Yeah, I didn't want to leave you on your own again"

"Hey Zack?"

"Yeah"

"I'm glad I have a friend like you"


End file.
